I designed this map as part of a school group project highlighting different mapping techniques - my technique was shaded relief. I chose to feature the Boston Mountains because of the challenges posed by their subtle, detailed topography (Also, I'm grew up in this part of the world, and don't we all just want to make maps of our own homeland?).

I used a combination of a few different hillshades, layered in photoshop to balance detail with more prominent features. I chose to represent elevation with hypsometric tints focused on different shades of green to maintain a natural aesthetic. In addition to the mountains, my final product shows the rivers and lakes that flow from this range. I included a handful of larger cities in the region for reference, but chose not to include any roads and I wanted to emphasize the natural over the cultural.

It's a simple, beautiful map that invites the viewer to explore the topography of these modest, beautiful, and often overlooked mountains.